Spine piece for squeegee blades

ABSTRACT

A bifurcated spine piece for securing squeegee blades against bending in one plane while allowing controlled bending to conform to the surface plane to which the squeegee is to be applied. The squeegee is secured between the bifurcations in a selected compression thereby preventing longitudinal shifting of the squeegee or blade. The spine piece is grippable at both ends by typical claw elements found on wiper blade holder assemblies and the spine piece includes a cam grip surface engageable with the squeegee.

United States Patent Rosen [54] SPINE PIECE FOR SQUEEGEE BLADES [21] Appl.No.: 42,977

[ May 2, 1972 3,541,629 11/1970 Quinlan et a1. ..15/250.42

Primary ExaminerPeter Feldman AttorneyMiller, Morriss, Pappas & McLeod and William J. Morriss 5 7] ABSTRACT A bifurcated spine piece for securing squeegee blades against bending in one plane while allowing controlled bending to conform to the surface plane to which the squeegee is to be 52 US. Cl ..l5 250.42 E51; Int. Cl. ..B6 0s 1/38 aPPlied- The Squeegee is sewed between bifurcatimls a [58] Field ls/250,42 250 36 25032 selected compression thereby preventing longitudinal shifting I I I I of the squeegee or blade. The spine piece is grippable at both 56 1 References Cited ends by typical claw elements found on wiper blade holder assem'blies and the spine piece includes a cam grip surface en- UNITED STATES PATENTS gageable with the Squeegee- 3,386,123 6/1968 Oishei et a1. ..15/250.42 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 A7 A9 /7 5 I 3: m I I I WM I1\ \a Lu W PATENTEDMAY 2 m2 3, 5 59.31 0

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS SPINE PIECE FOR SQUEEGEE BLADES The present invention is directed to a new and improved spine piece intended to supplant the twin parallel spine strips of the prior art and to better hold the'squeegee blades in proper working orientation. It is also intended that the new spine element will be particularly useful to provide intermediate blade control as between a squeegee blade and a squeegee holder, for example, as known in windshield wiper devices seen in automobiles. The present device is also intended to be easily installed for reuse in replacement for worn out blades and to accommodate mounting on a variety of holder structures. The cam surface locations provide means for selectively stiffening of the squeegee by compression at points along the length of the squeegee.

The device of the present invention is especially useful with articulated type hollow or extruded blades such as described in my copending application for U. S. Letters Pat, Ser. No. 5,690. In prior art devices when the squeegee blade becomes worn, it is virtually impossible to replace merely the rubber blade. Instead, spine pieces, blade and holder were so integrated as to require replacement of the entire wiper structure at substantial expense to the user. My extruded blades are intended to be replacements for worn blades of the prior art devices. As in the prior art devices it is desirable to provide spine pieces to hold and properly orient the blade. However, it is not felt necessary that the spine pieces require discarding and the present spine pieces are specifically designed to admit of changing the blade'without destruction of the spine pieces.

In combination with the variant depth claw-grip positions the cam surfaces provide for the application of selected compression on the squeegee between the bifurcations.

ln u. S. Letters Pat. No. 2,596,063, a windshield wiper blade was described in which a blade having parallel grooves was held in position by two separate parallel spine elements, one in each of the grooves of the blade. These strips were detentably held by means of a channel-like element depending from the wiper holder and snapped into receiving grooves at each end of the spine elements. Subsequent wiper blade designs utilized a variety of separate spine elements and closed stamped spine elements. A modified version of the closed spine form is seen in the U. S. Letters Pat. to Oishei et al., Pat. No. 3,386,123. This unit included a flared portion extending from one end and the flare being accomplished by a thickening of the blade web intennediate the grooves at the clamping end. This allows the wiper holder claw to securely impinge on the detents in the spine ends. U. S. Letters Pat. No. 3,093,856 to Smithers shows the locking together of two bifurcated elements. The U. S. Letters Patent to Ehrlich Pat. No. 2,741,792 and Chambers Pat. No. 2,847,694 both show simple bifurcated spine ends.

The present invention goes beyond the prior art and has its principal object in providing a bifurcated spine construction which is ramped and closed at one end and selectively compressible against the squeegee in selected positions intermediate the ends thereof.

Another object is to teach the use of cam surfaces along the interior surfaces of the bifurcators whereby stifiening results on gripping compression applied by the bifurcations to intermediate resilient squeegees.

Another object is to provide a spine piece which replaces separate pieces or closed rings as provided with various wiper squeegee blades.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION In general, the device of the present invention is a flat elongate bifurcated spine piece externally ramped at one end and having selected internal cam surfaces and adjacent external detent means useful for holding and orienting a windshield wiper squeegee positioned intermediate the flanking bifurcations. The closed end of the bifurcated spine piece is externally ramped, increasing in span between the external edges from the closed end toward the middle. This allows a channellike claw piece with intumed flanges to be easily run into wedged clamping position on the spine pieces and gripping against the outer edges of the bifurcations. The open end of the bifurcated spine element is provided with outer edge claw notches or detents of variant progressive depth along at least one of the outer edges of one of the bifurcations whereby the claw can selectively apply a desired compressive force as between the bifurcations and compressing therebetween a neck portion of a squeegee or wiper blade. Internally, at least one of the bifurcations is extended toward its opposite bifurcation adjacent the detents so that as compressive pressure is applied by the holding claws or clamp means, the squeegee is firmly gripped and as selected gripping pressure is applied, then the resilient material of the blade is compressed so that a localized stiffening has been accomplished where desired.

This feature allows selected stiffening by compression as desired in a particular blade application. In Windshields with unusual curvature this selected stiffening changes the movement characteristics of the wiper in motion toward the end of providing optimum performance in any particular blade. Curvature can be applied to the spine pieces as by bowing to create a selected force between holder and glass surface.

IN THE DRAWING SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawing and with particular reference to the FIG. 1 thereof the present inventive bifurcated spine piece 1 l is seen in operating relation assembled to securely grip the squeegee blade 12 and to be clamped thereupon by the plural claws 13 which are extensions of the wiper holder 14. The closed end 15 of the spine piece 11 is formed at the end into a ramp 16 on the external edges of the bifurcations 17 adjacent the closed end 15. The ramp 16 allows one of the claws 13 to apply clamping force as between the bifurcations 17 so as to securely hold the blade 12 therebetween the supported in the slots 18 forming the neck 19 between the head 20 and the body 21 of the blade 12. The spine piece 1 l is formed from a flat piece of spring stock, and can be bowed as desired.

. In FIG. 2, the claw 13 adjacent the open ends of the bifurcations 17 is seen clamping the bifurcations 17 toward each other and assisted by the resilience in the material of the neck 19 of the blade 12 and by the (FIG. 3) cam-like internal ramp 22 formed in one or more of the bifurcators 17 on the inner facing edges thereof. This arrange-ment forms a resilient cushion against which the claw 13 reacts forcing the bifurcations 17 toward each other and deformably gripping the neck 19 of the wiper blade 12. The consequence of such holding is to resiliently compress the material of the blade and to extrude by deformation in a direction toward the blade tip 23 and upwardly into the head 20. This locally stiffens the blade and changes its resilient character in that region. Accordingly the cam construction as seen in the ramp 22 can be repeated selectively along the length of the blade and at intervals desired in accord with a specific installation to provide a new dimension in control of blade resiliency. As will be appreciated, the cam ramps 22 may be on both bifurcations 17 or one thereof.

As best seen in FIG. 3 the bifurcations 17 may be notched for detenting connection with the claw 13. The detent notches 24 are of variant successive depth whereby the claw 13 can apply selective compression depending upon the depth of the selected notch 24 and the notches may be on one or both outer edges of the bifurcations 17. This provides, in addition to compression control at the claw 13, a control resisting longitudinal relative movementas between claw 13 and bifurcations 17 and blade 12.

The male detent 25 on the claw l3 impinges in the selected notch 24.

While illustrated as a wiper extending between two claws 13 in a holder frame 14, it will be appreciated that the assembly of the spine piece 11 and blade 12 may be of such length as to require more claws 13 than those illustrated. In operation, the spine piece 11 firmly grips various types of squeegee blade 12 and adapts itself to a variety of holders. It also adjusts its clamping characteristics, by means of the camming, ramps, and detents to actually influence the performance of the blade 12. In addition, it will be appreciated that a plurality of external ramps 16 may be provided at spaced intervals adjacent the internal cam surfaces to provide adjustable holding means for the claws 13.. Selected dimensioning of the cam surfaces achieves any desired clamping force along the blade. The externally ramped end 15 allows the simple guiding insertion of blade 12 and bifurcated strip 11 into the holder frame 14. A modification to accommodate such a claw support would be obvious and would be inclusive of the features herein described. Bowing of the spine piece 11 provides a selected bias between holder and squeegee blade 12 which assists in avoidance of chatter and helps the blade 12 provide its necessary flip-flop in a smoothly transitional manner.

Having thus described my invention and one operative embodiment thereof, I claim:

1. A spine piece for windshield wiper blades comprising:

a bifurcated flat strip of spring stock externally ramped at the closed end thereof and internally ramped at the open end thereof; and

clamping means at the open end thereof whereby said bifurcated strip is selectively urged toward closure of said open end.

2. A spine piece for windshield wiper blades comprising:

a bifurcated flat strip of spring stock externally ramped at the closed end thereof and the bifurcations including internal cam projections; and

detenting clamping means selectively closing the open end of said bifurcated strip and urging said cam projections inwardly toward the other of said bifurcations.

3. In a spine piece for windshield wiper blades as set forth in claim 2 wherein said clamping means includes a plurality of notches at progressively variant depths.

4. A flat spine piece easily flexing in one direction and re sisting deformations in a direction normal to said first direction comprising:

a bifurcated spring stock element externally ramped and closed at one end and open at the other end thereof, said bifurcations being in a parallel plane one with the other and each bifurcation having cam projections along the interior surfaces thereof and exterior detent clamping surfaces adjacent each of said cam projections; and

a compression claw selectively detentable in said clamping surfaces whereby said bifurcations are held against separation and said cam surfaces are selectively urged toward closure against the opposite bifurcation.

5. A windshield wiper blade combination comprising: ramp a bifurcated strip of flat spring stock externally tapered to form a ram external surface at the closed end thereof and at the open end thereof having at least one cam projection from at least one of the bifurcations of said bifurcated strip and adjacent external notches at selective depths;

a squeegee of elongate rubber-like material including a head, a wiper portion and neck portion therebetween, said bifurcated strip resting in said neck portion of said squeegee; and

holder claws, one selectively positioned in clamp relation on said ramp portion of said bifurcated strip and at least one other detentably and selectively engaging said notches and urging saidcam extension into deforming relation with said squeegee.

6. The combinationas set forth in claim 5 wherein a plurality of holder claws at selected positions along the length of said bifurcated strip each are adjacent cam extensions urged toward closure and said squeegee by said claws.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 659, 310 Dated May 2 1972 I Inventofl Ian K. Rosen It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 33, "u." should be ---U.

Column 2, line 25, delete "a" at end of line.

Column 2, line 45, after "therebetween" change "the" to --and-- Column 2, line 55, "arrange-ment" should be --arrangement-- Column 4, line 19, Claim 5, delete "ramp Column 4, line 21, Claim 5, "ram" should be --ramp Signed and sealed this 5th day of September 1972..

(SEAL) I Attesti EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO'IOSO USCOMM-DC 60376-Pf-9 

1. A spine piece for windshield wiper blades comprising: a bifurcated flat strip of spring stock externally ramped at the closed end thereof and internally ramped at the open end thereof; and clamping means at the open end thereof whereby said bifurcated strip is selectively urged toward closure of said open end.
 2. A spine piece for windshield wiper blades comprising: a bifurcated flat strip of spring stock externally ramped at the closed end thereof and the bifurcations including internal cam projections; and detenting clamping means selectively closing the open end of said bifurcated strip and urging said cam projections inwardly toward the other of said bifurcations.
 3. In a spine piece for windshield wiper blades as set forth in claim 2 wherein said clamping means includes a plurality of notches at progressively variant depths.
 4. A flat spine piece easily flexing in one direction and resisting deformations in a direction normal to said first direction comprising: a bifurcated spring stock element externally ramped and closed at one end and open at the other end thereof, said bifurcations being in a parallel plane one wIth the other and each bifurcation having cam projections along the interior surfaces thereof and exterior detent clamping surfaces adjacent each of said cam projections; and a compression claw selectively detentable in said clamping surfaces whereby said bifurcations are held against separation and said cam surfaces are selectively urged toward closure against the opposite bifurcation.
 5. A windshield wiper blade combination comprising: ramp a bifurcated strip of flat spring stock externally tapered to form a ram external surface at the closed end thereof and at the open end thereof having at least one cam projection from at least one of the bifurcations of said bifurcated strip and adjacent external notches at selective depths; a squeegee of elongate rubber-like material including a head, a wiper portion and neck portion therebetween, said bifurcated strip resting in said neck portion of said squeegee; and holder claws, one selectively positioned in clamp relation on said ramp portion of said bifurcated strip and at least one other detentably and selectively engaging said notches and urging said cam extension into deforming relation with said squeegee.
 6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein a plurality of holder claws at selected positions along the length of said bifurcated strip each are adjacent cam extensions urged toward closure and said squeegee by said claws. 